I am a parent and a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. A CD full of stories will provide hours of pleasure. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story! A great resource.
My “Recordings” page on this website lists three story CDs. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world. Parking in Manhattan, my latest project, represents a compendium of hilarious urban folktales, all of them sounding as though they really happened! To purchase my CDs, just follow the directions on the “Recordings” page to place your order.
Hunting for a unique gift children will enjoy and appreciate? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? Give them the gift of story. It is a unique gift children will cherish for the rest of their lives!
April 20th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Occasionally a teacher would tell a story that meant a great deal to me. I was surprised to find how memorable those stories were. The messages stuck in the memory, too. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Honesty is the best policy.
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Bring more posts. This is a place I will bookmark.
April 29th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. It was tough going most of the time. I quickly realized that a good gift is hard to find. A meaningful gift is even rarer. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Honesty is the best policy. Slow down and notice the things around you. Give back to your community. I am who I am because of those messages.
I find myself using stories I heard long ago when I perform today.
May 4th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Your posts are great.
May 5th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish. ”
What was my listener describing when he called my stories “nifty?” The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment. ” I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.
For example, a story with a moral is one that provides a clear message. It teaches by example. On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer.
May 8th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is suitable for children of all ages. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world.
May 12th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Found you blog great.
May 18th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Great post. I will tell my friends about this blog.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Perhaps it gives a hint of direction. There could even be an outright moral. It doesn’t really matter what name you give to this elusive quality; it is more important that the stories I tell possess it.
As a child I found deep meaning in inspirational stories. I heard similar stories from my mother and my grandfather.
May 26th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer. The meaning is hidden in the actions of the characters. It is up to the listener to decipher the message. And there may be a different message for each listener. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience.
May 28th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Blog was awesome. Awesome.
May 29th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Rockin blog. Very helpful stuff here.
June 7th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
One can learn many lessons from epic stories. Think of the difference between an Aesop fable and a tale from the Arabian Nights. Which one gives you more freedom to choose your own message? My personal penchant is for finding my own lessons when I listen to a story. The stories I chose for my Fables in Four Minutes and World Full of Stories CDs are good examples of nifty stories with subtle messages.
Nifty stories edify.
June 8th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I will visit this site again.
June 14th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
And I anticipated that my children would do the same.
I am now a grandparent. And I am always on the lookout for a unique gift children would enjoy. Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving. One great gift I have found is a memorable story.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I will use this site in the future.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:20 pm
The stories are ageless. The messages are as relevant now as they were long ago.
What’s so important about inspirational stories? For one thing, we experience a deluge of information and news on a daily basis. Second, the lives we live give us no breathing space to reflect. And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? This is where inspirational stories serve us well.
July 8th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Thanks for sharing this. I was looking for thie very stuff last month.
July 13th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Many world stories are insightful. Often world stories are inscrutable. Generally world stories contain lessons. All world stories keep us amused.
No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture.
August 23rd, 2009 at 2:02 pm
And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. A CD full of stories will provide hours of pleasure. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world.
My “Recordings” page on this website lists three story CDs. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre.
August 26th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
I will come back to this site. All good.
August 28th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
For as long as humans could talk throughout the world stories have been told and retold. They act as vital threads that weave through the fabric of a culture. They lend definition, roots, and significance to society. World stories spread as the culture grows.
I have been blessed by the number of world stories I have found from my travels around the world.
September 9th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Keep the posts coming dude. This blog was great.
September 21st, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Glad i found this. Keep the good blogging coming.
September 30th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Groovy blog. This entry was really cool.
October 7th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
In the absence of time and reflection, we have precious little available insight to bring to current affairs. Here is the place for inspirational stories. A listener can mull over inspirational stories. They offer something to think about. Something that helps us to find our personal “true north.
October 30th, 2009 at 2:14 am
” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”
What’s so nifty about nifty stories? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.
Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches using a concrete example.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:34 am
A meaningful gift is even rarer. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure. And I anticipated that my children would do the same.
I am now a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:36 am
This is a helpful blog. Helpful blog.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:42 am
I could have used this information a while a go.
December 4th, 2009 at 3:43 am
They are laden with disasters and catastrophes. And the life lessons are generally hidden from view. As a storyteller, my job is to sift through the data and sort out the meaning. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Priceless humor.
December 17th, 2009 at 3:49 am
Lovin your blog.
December 21st, 2009 at 3:50 am
And it is suitable for children of all ages. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!
My “Recordings” page on this website lists three story CDs. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world.
December 28th, 2009 at 4:25 am
Maybe there is a message. Perhaps it gives a hint of direction. It might even state a moral. The name one might give to this ephemeral quality is not as important as the fact that the stories I tell actually possess it.
Even when I was growing up, I found myself deeply touched by inspirational stories.
December 29th, 2009 at 4:31 am
The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. Listeners can readily find many humorous circumstances in my CD Parking in Manhattan. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless situations create priceless humor.
World stories also capitalize on priceless humor.
December 30th, 2009 at 4:32 am
Good.
February 2nd, 2010 at 6:39 am
As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word “nifty” when referring to a cool car or a great suit of clothes. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As time passed, I heard the word used in a wider range of conversations, including nifty evenings out, nifty concerts, and nifty songs. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so.